I agree with a lot of what you said, and maybe “fractured” wasn’t the right word to use. It’s more like “shattered”

Take advertising, for example. Back in the days of broadcast media they had to make broadly appealing ads. Ads people would talk about around the water cooler.

Now we can target ads very specifically, so I may never see an ad that you see.

People are still talking about inane things because that’s how we do, but there’s more niches and communities than before, and they’re more siloed.

I especially agree with this part:

I think we are seeing the ends of the safeties this form of democracy has to provide

The printing press brought down hereditary monarchies. The Internet may bring down nationalist liberal democracy.

Let’s hope what replaces it is as much of an improvement.

And they have a British nanny and French maid.

Fucking Sikes-Picot

Thanks for this because it is exactly what I’m talking about. I wasn’t raised in a Christian house, but anything that was even vaguely titillating was considered obscene. When your mom angrily throws out a Victoria’s Secret catalog calling it “disgusting” how are you supposed to feel about liking the pictures?

If someone thinks their physical attraction is disgusting, perverse, or annoying how are they supposed to negotiate a relationship?

It was at a kink convention. We got a round of applause from a man in the Sex Room, and we embraced him. Then as we smoked outside an old lady said “Oh, aren’t you a cute couple” and we had to explain that we’d just met.

“Polite” implies that if you’re agreeable and friendly women will understand that you’re interested in them and not just being agreeable and friendly.

I think part of the problem is that what we’re all really after is fucking, which isn’t polite at all. Being polite about it just makes you look weak and ineffective at the thing that we all say we want but can’t mention.

If any mention of sex by a man is considered inappropriate, how is a man supposed to negotiate sex?

This is a big reason why I’m engaged: We got the impolite part out of the way first.

at house parties

Try this not at a house party.*

I’m lucky that I met my fiance after being loaned to her as a sex toy by someone I met on OKC

* What I mean here is that there aren’t many “third-spaces” as the neo-urbanists call them, where it is assumed to be appropriate to approach anyone romantically. Workplaces have HR, and contrary to Pornhub there aren’t many chances for romantic connection in your home.

My hypothesis is that having a place where people go to see and be seen is essential to the human mating process.

I’m willing and able to pay to not have to deal with humans.

This is ancillary but perhaps contributing to it due to a lack of shared context. (For example, if someone asks me about a funny commercial I won’t have seen it and can’t relate.)

I’m thinking more like the zeitgeist has fractured.

If you’re lucky it might be cut with something cheaper like pure cocaine

Instacart and DoorDash mean never having to talk to humans

Same.

No, we sell water usage data to water companies, so they know when to put water in the pipes!

That printer is a 2000’s HP LaserJet

The Real World: Idiots but I have to put on pants.

Lemmy: Idiots but I don’t have to put on pants.

One could argue that the lack of a shared, verifiable experience like radio or live TV has contributed to the breakdown of social cohesion. Everyone can see what they want, whenever they want, instead of seeing what everyone else sees.

So I’ve still got about even odds of encountering a fucking idiot when I meet someone.

Remind me why I should ever leave the house.

Strom Thurmond has been infinitely ratioed by a black man

I voted for Kamala and I think this is performative.

But performance is incredibly compelling to the psychotic apes who rule this planet so maybe it will help.

I’m not hopeful.

Strom got ratioed

Every bourbon I’ve tried just tastes like corn flakes to me